Fuente: © European Parliament
http://www.europarl.eu.int/

EU: MEPs adopt written declaration on rheumatic diseases

/noticias.info/ EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering announced that the written declaration on rheumatic diseases had been adopted, the declaration calls on the Commission and Council to attach more importance to rheumatic diseases in the new Community strategy on health, given their high social and economic costs. More than half of all MEPs (400 out of 785) have now signed the declaration meaning it becomes an official position of the European Parliament.

The declaration put forward by Edite ESTRELA (PES, PT) Adamos ADAMOU (GUE/NGL, CY), Dorette CORBEY (PES, NL), encourages Member States to establish and promote the implementation of national plans to fight rheumatic diseases. Parliament wants the Commission and Council to develop a Community strategy on rheumatic diseases and draw up a Council recommendation on the early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases and to develop a strategy to improve access to information and medical treatment.

MEPs point out that rheumatic diseases are chronic complaints which cause pain, suffering and disability and that 30% to 40% of people have musculoskeletal symptoms, and whereas such symptoms affect over 100 million people in Europe.

Parliament says that rheumatic diseases represent the main cause of disability and premature retirement among workers and it is estimated that people over 65 will account for up to one-quarter of the European population by 2030, and whereas a majority of people over 70 present chronic or recurrent rheumatic symptoms. Finally, the House points out that the adoption of social and health policies based on an analysis of the needs of those with rheumatic diseases would reduce the economic and social costs associated with these diseases (1 to 1.5% of GNI in developed countries). notas_de_prensa_archivo